Reread... reread... reread....
I found a couple structural errors. Or perhaps they could be called grammatical errors. The first was a quotation mark. I forgot to end a couple sentences properly. Dropped the quotes.
There were another couple of 'errors' that made a few sentences read oddly. The 'odd' bit was if you read straight through a section, they made perfect sense.
However, if you stopped at a paragraph that appeared to be a good subject change area to stop, went away for the day, came back and tried to start reading again, it was a little... awkward how it 'restarted'. I found three such places.
So... those things fixed and the story now having gone through at least a half dozen rereads with fewer and fewer changes, I feel better about it.
I will say, however, there is one more thing that I can add to the things that I've learned and would like to pass on to any other writers that happen across this page....
Reread... reread... reread.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Kind of a Heads Up on How I Write... Sometimes
Writers tend to find their own way into writing. Some have a nice office, computers with fancy spell checkers. Some have their place on the couch... slowly getting butt cheek imprints in the cushions.
For me, I find a great deal of inspiration occurs when I am out and about. Sitting in the sun somewhere waiting for someone or something. Maybe taking a break in the middle of the day. Sometimes just sitting in front of a coffee shop I can find inspiration for a new story.
Regardless, I try to have my journal at hand all the time.
Having lost one, I decided to make a new one. It was made from an old jacket that I picked up for about fifteen dollars. From it, I've made my journal cover, the pieces for a new wallet, and still have enough for another journal cover.
In that journal at this time are three more stories. I have tentatively titled them 'Not Just Another Pirate Story', 'Silence', and 'The Portal'.
Of course, the titles can and likely will be changed as I go along.
Briefly, the Pirate story is a different take on how pirates 'get the babe'. It has been a fun story to outline and build characters for. It's finished in outline, now to transfer it into a manuscript.
The Silence story is a bit of a short sci-fi. One of these days I'll be able to sit down and post it into a computer.
The Portal story is another sci-fi. A bit heavier. Interdimensional and all that. Same thing... I need the time in front of a computer.
There are several others that are coming to the front of my to-do list.
The Historian, The Last Tinker, Contact (of a different kind - title unsettled), Chronicles of The Unwilling (a bit of magic in that one), and others.
Many years... many ideas... many outlines already sitting there... many stories to finish.
Watercolors is the one getting attention at the moment.
Funny how some days I can pen upwards of 8,000 words. Sometimes more. Other times, I'm hard pressed to get as few as a thousand onto paper. Then, I imagine, this is true of all writers.
Kind of like Writers' Tackle. Different from Writer's Block. Writer's Block means you are stumped... period. Writer's Tackle means you got tackled by a thought or idea and it won't let go of your legs and let you keep going. You gotta kick and struggle for a while before you can get past it.
Posting to this blog seems to do a good job of breaking a tackle.
For me, I find a great deal of inspiration occurs when I am out and about. Sitting in the sun somewhere waiting for someone or something. Maybe taking a break in the middle of the day. Sometimes just sitting in front of a coffee shop I can find inspiration for a new story.
Regardless, I try to have my journal at hand all the time.
Having lost one, I decided to make a new one. It was made from an old jacket that I picked up for about fifteen dollars. From it, I've made my journal cover, the pieces for a new wallet, and still have enough for another journal cover.
In that journal at this time are three more stories. I have tentatively titled them 'Not Just Another Pirate Story', 'Silence', and 'The Portal'.
Of course, the titles can and likely will be changed as I go along.
Briefly, the Pirate story is a different take on how pirates 'get the babe'. It has been a fun story to outline and build characters for. It's finished in outline, now to transfer it into a manuscript.
The Silence story is a bit of a short sci-fi. One of these days I'll be able to sit down and post it into a computer.
The Portal story is another sci-fi. A bit heavier. Interdimensional and all that. Same thing... I need the time in front of a computer.
There are several others that are coming to the front of my to-do list.
The Historian, The Last Tinker, Contact (of a different kind - title unsettled), Chronicles of The Unwilling (a bit of magic in that one), and others.
Many years... many ideas... many outlines already sitting there... many stories to finish.
Watercolors is the one getting attention at the moment.
Funny how some days I can pen upwards of 8,000 words. Sometimes more. Other times, I'm hard pressed to get as few as a thousand onto paper. Then, I imagine, this is true of all writers.
Kind of like Writers' Tackle. Different from Writer's Block. Writer's Block means you are stumped... period. Writer's Tackle means you got tackled by a thought or idea and it won't let go of your legs and let you keep going. You gotta kick and struggle for a while before you can get past it.
Posting to this blog seems to do a good job of breaking a tackle.
Watercolors - Or is it 'Watercolours'?
This story was inspired a few months back when some pictures were discovered at a flea market. Watercolors, about forty of them. It occurred to me that there had to be a reason for painting so many pictures. All really very nice. Dated. Location marked on most of them.
And I wondered what 'other' reasons could someone have for painting such pictures.
From that, the story developed quickly, leading the three main characters on a journey across England, France, Austria, and other destinations far afield.
Each location has something in common, though.
Each location has had a mysterious death very near it and very close to the time the picture was dated. Was this person interested in strange deaths?
And again, I wondered... what other reason could a person have for painting such pictures?
About half way through now at about 25,000 words.
They soon discover who painted the pictures.
I wonder if this is a good thing.... or not.
We shall see.....
And I wondered what 'other' reasons could someone have for painting such pictures.
From that, the story developed quickly, leading the three main characters on a journey across England, France, Austria, and other destinations far afield.
Each location has something in common, though.
Each location has had a mysterious death very near it and very close to the time the picture was dated. Was this person interested in strange deaths?
And again, I wondered... what other reason could a person have for painting such pictures?
About half way through now at about 25,000 words.
They soon discover who painted the pictures.
I wonder if this is a good thing.... or not.
We shall see.....
The Hollerinth Affair - Finished and Undergoing the First Critical Review
Well, this one has been an interesting 'write'.
At first, I had a little trouble deciding what kind of twist to put at the end. Then I realized I had too many variations on one of the names. My editor went through and gave some wonderful recommendations and suddenly the naming was simplified and easier to follow. Funny now when you get your head down and into writing a story you don't notice certain things. Kind of like another story I have been writing... too many occurrences of the word 'softly'. But, then, that IS another story.
I strongly recommend a 'pre-edit' be done by an independent editor before you put a book out for any sort of review.
Anyway, it's now out and going through the first critical review in front of a couple readers. Depending on flow and clarity, we'll see what if any changes get incorporated.
But, it's done. Ended at 79,500 words. Nice whodunit. My short synopsis follows:
At first, I had a little trouble deciding what kind of twist to put at the end. Then I realized I had too many variations on one of the names. My editor went through and gave some wonderful recommendations and suddenly the naming was simplified and easier to follow. Funny now when you get your head down and into writing a story you don't notice certain things. Kind of like another story I have been writing... too many occurrences of the word 'softly'. But, then, that IS another story.
I strongly recommend a 'pre-edit' be done by an independent editor before you put a book out for any sort of review.
Anyway, it's now out and going through the first critical review in front of a couple readers. Depending on flow and clarity, we'll see what if any changes get incorporated.
But, it's done. Ended at 79,500 words. Nice whodunit. My short synopsis follows:
The Hollerinth Affair
What would you do if you found out that the last twelve years of your life were a lie?
What starts as a possibly miss-posted military medal opens a floodgate of lies and deception as James Hollerinth discovers the last twelve years of his life may not have been his, but instead, a careful fabrication meant to hide a deep military operation of which he has no recollection. Nor does he have any memory of ever being in the military.
His life began anew after a car crash that killed his parents… or so he thought. Owner of a large, successful engineering firm, James is happily married and raising two children. Living a dream life where even the drive to work in the morning is a pleasant, often looked forward to experience.
Once the mysterious medal is investigated, he finds that he has been carefully watched since ‘the accident’.
However, someone is watching the watchers.
As his life unravels, his family is taken which leaves him at first devastated.
Then he gets angry… and takes his life back.
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